Kirk Yetholm ('kirk yet-ham') is a village in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, 8 miles (13 kilometres) southeast of Kelso and less than 1 mile (2 kilometres) west of the border. The first mention is of its church in the 13th century. Its sister town is Town Yetholm which lies 1⁄2 mile (800 metres) across the Bowmont Water. The population of the two villages was recorded as 591 in the 2001 census.[1]
Etymology
Yetholm means either:
the goats' island from Old Englishgat 'goat' and Old Norse holmr (island, holme)
village with a gate - from Old Englishgeat-ham ‘gate village’
Gypsies
Kirk Yetholm was the headquarters of the Romanichal travellers (gypsies) in Scotland, having settled in the village about 1750.[2][3] The last King of the Gypsies, Charles Faa Blyth Rutherford, aged 70, was crowned on 31 May 1898.[4] A second male, David Blyth, claimed he was the rightful heir, but did not attend the huge ceremony and festivities which was held between the two Yetholm villages.[5] The king died just four years later on 21 April 1902.[6][2] Today the gypsies have been integrated and are no longer a separate ethnic minority. A memorial stone can be found on the village green.[7]
Gypsy stone and plaque (May 2018).
Gypsy plaque (May 2018).
Saint Cuthbert's Way and Pennine Way
The village is notable for being the northern terminus of the Pennine Way, and to a lesser extent the southern terminus of the Scottish National Trail. The Border Hotel public house is the official end of the Pennine Way.[8]
The first Saturday in October is traditionally the Yetholm Border Shepherds' Show, held on the land between Town Yetholm and Kirk Yetholm, with the 156th show held in 2019.[11][12] It stemmed from the old practice of farmers gathering to sort through stray sheep from neighbours' flocks.
A song referring to Kirk Yetholm called "Yetholm Day" was written and composed by Gary Cleghorn.
Scottish Border poet and Australian bush balladeer Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963) wrote 'The gipsies' (c. 1910; and later put to music by British composer Graham Peel), having been raised 8 miles (13 km) away. Ogilvie also wrote a song for the 'Coronation of the Gipsy King at Yetholm' by July 1898 whilst in Australia.
^ ab"Gipsy families". The Telegraph (Brisbane). No. 11, 519. Queensland, Australia. 18 October 1909. p. 2. Retrieved 1 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Queen Esther Faa Blyth". The Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser. Vol. 5, no. 211. South Australia. 17 October 1884. p. 4. Retrieved 1 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Coronation of the Gipsy King". The Barrier Miner. Vol. 11, no. 3194. New South Wales, Australia. 22 July 1898. p. 1 (Second edition). Retrieved 1 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Scotland's Gipsy King". Kalgoorlie Miner. Vol. III, no. 809. Western Australia. 9 July 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 1 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Gipsy King dead". The World's News. No. 27. New South Wales, Australia. 21 June 1902. p. 10. Retrieved 1 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
